Chapter Text
Ralph sighed as he put down his pen. It was a beautiful day outside, and yet he was stuck here, struggling through calculus.
“Come on now, Ralph. You’re so close!”
Ralph chuckled. “I doubt it. I’m not a numbers whiz like you.”
Ralph would be outside if his roommate hadn’t insisted on tutoring him. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Piggy, it was just that he could be a bit much at times. Ralph preferred it when his friend was reading about the stocks rather than trying to help others.
“I’m sure you’ll get it soon, Ralph,” said Simon softy. The quiet boy smiled and brushed soft black curls out of his face as he continued to feed his rabbit.
“I still don’t like that that rabbit is in here,” Piggy muttered, shifting in his seat to get a closer look at Ralph’s work.
“He’s not doing you any harm,” Ralph commented, staring out the window.
“It’s still against the rules,” Piggy frowned, grabbing his red pen.
Soft chimes began to fill the room, causing Simon to blush furiously while checking his phone. “Sorry,” he shrunk into his sweatshirt, “Jack insists that we all follow him and watch his videos.” He showed his friends the notification that popped onto his screen. The stark red of Jack’s hair against the black background and picture of crypto stock stood out against the tranquil forest background of Simon’s phone.
Ralph rolled his eyes. “He doesn’t control you, you know.”
Simon looked down at his rabbit uncomfortably. “I know, but-“
“So you know, but you still let him control you. That’s doesn’t make any sense. How could you let him walk all over you just because you’re in his dumb cult?”
“Ralph!”
It took Piggy yelling in his face for Ralph to realize that he had also been yelling and had gotten out of his seat. Simon sniffled in response, the fur on his rabbit noticeably wetter.
Ralph’s head swiveled between his two friends. “I’m going to the store,” he said, and quietly left the dorm. He wasn’t exactly sure if he needed anything, but he needed any excuse to get out of that study session. Besides, one can never have too many planners.